SubscribeTopic: FEEL
96% Of Us Are More Stressed Than Our Moms Were; Cut Yourself Some Slack
On the Today show this morning, they reported that a whopping 70% of moms in the U.S. say mothering is “incredibly stressful.” On top of that, 96% feel we are far more stressed than our own mothers were. While I can certainly relate (I am a working mom with two kids), I always find reports like that interesting, because I think they can paint a picture of us as martyrs, when in fact, we’re the ones who typically bring this stress upon ourselves. And if we would just cut ourselves some slack, we could probably alleviate a lot of this angst. More »
Demi Moore Reportedly Hospitalized Over ‘Whip-Its’; Couldn’t She Have Just Had Some Wine?
After days of rumors, reports now indicate that “whip-its” could have been the drug of choice for Demi Moore and the reason she was rushed to the hospital earlier this week. And here I thought sucking the air out of whipped cream bottles was just for teenagers to do as a cheap and stupid way of getting high when working at Ground Round or Ben & Jerry’s. More »
At 62, Vera Wang Looks Healthy And Awesome In Harper’s Bazaar
Fashion and healthy bodies don’t always get along, but in a gorgeous spread for the February edition of Harper’s Bazaar, Vera Wang is doing her darndest to merge the two. Images from the shoot displaying the 62-year-old fashion icon’s healthy, awesome-looking body have just been released, and all I can say “Damn, Vera.” More »
Demi Moore Called Paramedics To Treat Her Exhaustion; Why Didn’t Anyone See This Coming?
Demi Moore was taken to a hospital by paramedics on Monday night after an emergency call, and today her rep issued a statement saying she’s being treated for exhaustion due to the stresses in her life. But after her strange interview in Harper’s Bazaar at the beginning of the year, and her ever-diminishing frame in the two months since her divorce from Ashton Kutcher, wasn’t it obvious she needed some help? More »
Psychedelic Mushrooms Reduce Brain Activity (And That’s A Good Thing)
Serious study of psychedelics is back in vogue (with less mysticism, more neuroscience this time) and holds promise for treating depression. More »
Can’t Stand Your Co-Worker’s Perfume? There’s A Reason For That.
You know that co-worker whose perfume smells really bad? Or that friend’s house that reeks of dirty socks? If you can’t stand these smells and they give you headaches, you may not just be overly-sensitive to bad odors, you may actually suffer from a chemical intolerance. More »
Gossiping May Be Malicious, But Here’s Why It’s Good For Our Health
As much as we don’t like to admit it, most of us probably gossip from time to time. Learning that so-and-so just broke up with so-and-so can be too juicy to keep to ourselves, right? It’s malicious, back-stabbing and reputation-ruining, but that doesn’t stop us. And according to a new study, it might not have to. Researchers are now saying that this so-called “information sharing” can actually be good for our social and psychological health. Here’s why. More »
Yes, Even Mentally Ill Women Have Reproductive Rights
File this in the really, they can do that? category: A judge in Massachusetts tried to order a mentally ill pregnant woman to have an abortion, and thereafter be sterilized. Thankfully, an appeals court intervened. More »
Strange TODAY Show Story Reminds Us That “Hysteria” Is Still A Thing
Yesterday on the TODAY Show, a group of 12 teenage girls from New York discussed the sudden, bizarre onset of a Tourette’s-esque disorder that’s resulted, for no clear reason, in all of them displaying tics, twitches, and uncontrollable outbursts. And while the epidemic itself sounds strange and interesting (there’s a RadioLab about a similar outbreak), it’s the clinical diagnosis by a doctor on the show that made me pause–mass hysteria. Really? With it’s gendered, pejorative, and non-scientific roots, that’s still a word that’s being used medically? More »
How Anxiety Could Be Wrecking Your Physical Health
Even though a reported 20% of the American population is now on mental health drugs, we still don’t talk about the related conditions and diseases nearly enough. Yes, depression makes the headlines often and people are finally becoming more open about it, but what other other mental health conditions like anxiety? That’s one that affects 40 million adults in the U.S., but do you really know what it is and how to tell if you are suffering from it? And do you know how it can affect your physical health? To find out, we consulted Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, founder of Natural Standard Research Collaboration, clinician at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of Natural Standard, The Authority on Integrative Medicine. Here is what she had to say: More »
Masterpiece Revivals: 5 Downton Abbey-Inspired Trends We’d Rather See Than Recipes
Tonight brings the second episode of eagerly-anticipated Downton Abbey‘s second season. But with the hit Masterpiece Theatre show has come a flurry of recipes inspired by the show which, aside from this cute Garden Cake from Apartment Therapy, is a trend we find less-than-exciting. World War I-era British food? No thanks. Most of it isn’t wholly appetizing; even the cute tea cakes and scones aren’t what you’d call ‘healthy.’ But that doesn’t mean we can’t draw some inspiration from the show. More »
Heather Locklear In Hospital For Booze And Drugs; So What If She Has Mental Issues?
After reportedly taking a dangerous mix of prescription drugs and alcohol, Heather Locklear was rushed to the hospital by ambulance yesterday afternoon, leaving many to question her mental state. And while that’s a valid concern, let’s not rip her apart for something that any of us could be vulnerable to.
More »
Internet Makes Your Brain Act Like Its On Drugs; We’d Rather Get Drunk
In news that makes us think about how much time we actually spend on the Internet, researchers now say our inability to log off could be due to Internet addiction (not because we tell ourselves that we just have to see if so-and-so responds to our Facebook post or if we can get to the next level of whatever mind-numbing game we are playing).
This so-called addiction is very real according to a new study that says it creates changes in our brains similar to the effect of drugs and alcohol. Am I the only one who thinks that gaming is lame? If you want to get high, why not just go out and party, right? (In moderation, of course.) More »
Depression, SAD Or Just A Funk: The Differences And How To Cope
The holidays are over, and that means you’re either jumping for joy because you’re finally rid of the stress, extended family and expectations of the season, or you’re possibly sinking into a case of the post-festivity blues. While feeling a bit of a let-down after a major event is normal, if your mood has turned into a general “funk” or feelings of depression that you just can’t shake, you’re not alone.
From Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to depression, the winter blues are more common than you think. To find out the differences and how to deal with them without just trying to will yourself to “get happy”, we consulted with Dr. Deborah Serani, an author and psychologist specializing in depression. Take a look at our conversation:
More »
Healthiest Cities: What Does This Actually Mean?
Men’s and Women’s Health magazines have ranked the ‘healthiest U.S. cities‘ for each gender, with Raleigh, N.C. topping the list for women and Burlington, Vermont topping the list for men. But what does that actually mean? And can you be healthy in an ‘unhealthy’ city? More »
4 Million Americans Are Constipated: 5 Foods To Help ‘Relieve’ This Problem
It’s OK, you’re not alone. A whopping 4 million Americans have trouble in the bathroom department, and let’s face it, being constipated is not fun. It not only makes us bloated, but it can cause cramping, gas, headaches and all-around irritability.
Constipation is often the result of consuming too little fiber, but it can also be caused by certain medications, hormones and Iron supplements. In addition to drinking more water and exercising more (even certain yoga poses can help) adding more fiber to your diet is a simple remedy. The average adult needs between 25 and 30 grams of fiber a day to ward off constipation–which is far less than most of us typically eat.
So, for all 4 million of us who suffer from occasional constipation, here are five of the best foods that can help “relieve” that problem. You can thank us in the morning!
More »
Study Says Brain Function Declines At Age 45; Possibly Explaining John McCain’s Recent ‘Senior Moment’
We used to think that we had a lot longer before we had to worry about those embarrassing “Now why did I come in here?” and “What was I going to say?” and in the case of John McCain, “Who was I endorsing?” moments. That’s because scientists used to say our mental abilities didn’t start to deteriorate until age 60. But now there’s new research out about the declining state of our brains at the not-so-old age of just 45. Gads. More »
From Gluten-Intolerance To Disordered Eating: Celiac Sufferers At Risk
Does gluten intolerance lead to depression and disordered eating? That’s what researchers from Penn State are saying, after finding that women with celiac disease were at a higher risk for both depression and eating issues—regardless of whether they were on a gluten-free diet. More »
Eva Longoria Says Thinness Isn’t A Good Measure of Health
In an interview with Health magazine, 36-year-old Eva Longoria spoke about her eating habits and exercise, but she also pressed an important point: That health isn’t only about what you look like, eat, or do at the gym. Specifically, she points out that being thin doesn’t equal being healthy, despite what so many tabloids have trained us to think. More »
Gwyneth Paltrow Wants You To Buy Her $425 Cleanse; You Can Do It For Less
Post-New Year’s, ’tis the season for feeling really yucky about yourself for your holiday indulgences. Or, at least, ’tis the season for people telling you that you feel gross–like Gwyneth Paltrow in this week’s goop newsletter, which, like every year at this time, encourages readers to try (read: buy) her favorite cleanse, concocted by her favorite physician, Dr. Alejandro Junger. Called Clean, the cleanse is made up of smoothies and supplements…and costs $425. But here’s the cool thing about getting your body back on track: it’s really, really inexpensive to do. Here are a few better ways to put that money to use–while still getting that good, clean feeling. More »